A process for producing alpha olefins

Abstract

A process for producing alpha-olefins comprising contacting an ethylene feed with an oligomerization catalyst system in an oligomeriation reaction zone under oligomerization reaction conditions to produce a product stream comprising alpha-olefins wherein the catalyst system comprises a metal-ligand complex and a co-catalyst and the oligomerization reaction conditions comprise a reaction temperature of at least 115° C.

1 . A process for producing alpha-olefins comprising contacting an ethylene feed with an oligomerization catalyst system in an oligomerization reaction zone under oligomerization reaction conditions to produce a product stream comprising alpha-olefins wherein the catalyst system comprises a metal-ligand complex and a co-catalyst and the oligomerization reaction conditions comprise a reaction temperature of at least 115° C. 
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the metal is iron and the co-catalyst comprises modified methyl aluminoxane (MMAO). 
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the reaction temperature is at least 121° C. 
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the reaction temperature is in a range of from 115 to 127° C. 
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the reaction temperature is in a range of from 118 to 127° C. 
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the reaction temperature is in a range of from 121 to 127° C. 
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the oligomerization reaction conditions comprise a pressure in the range of from 1 to 10 MPa. 
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 1  further comprising cooling at least a portion of the reaction zone using a heat exchange medium having an inlet temperature and an outlet temperature wherein the difference between the reaction temperature and the inlet temperature of the heat exchange medium is from 1 to 20° C. 
     
     
         9 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the difference between the reaction temperature and the inlet temperature of the heat exchange medium is from 1 to 15° C.